A major new contribution to comparative and multidisciplinary scholarship on the alignment of religion and violence in the contemporary world, with a special focus on South and Southeast Asia. Religion and Conflict in South and Southeast Asia shows how this region is the site of recent and emerging democracies, a high degree of religious pluralism, the largest Muslim populations in the world, and several well-organized terrorist groups, making understanding of the dynamics of religious conflict and violence particularly urgent. By bringing scholars from religious studies, political science, sociology, anthropology and international relations into conversation with each other, this volume brings much needed attention to the role of religion in fostering violence in the region and addresses strategies for its containment or resolution. The dearth of other literature on the intersection of religion, politics and violence in contemporary South and Southeast Asia makes the timing of this book particularly relevant. This book will of great interest to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of Asian politics, security studies and conflict studies.

This book explores two of the most important dimensions of the military as an institution in Third World politics: its role in domestic power structures and internal development, and its impact on the formation and execution of the security aspects of foreign policy. These internal and external orientations are compared here across selected Third World countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The authors are area experts and specialists in comparative and international politics. Part 1 focuses on how the interaction of military and civilian elites creates a specific domestic political climate. The socioeconomic characteristics of these elites are compared and related to their policy preferences. An examination of military establishments in regimes ranging from communist (Cuba) through business-oriented (Indonesia) reveals whether military similarities persist among differing types of government. In Part 2 the contributors examine the role of military force in the Third World through a general empirical treatment of military behavior in developing countries; an assessment of the security policies-with emphasis on their military components-of several Middle Eastern and Asian states; and an evaluation of the U.S. experience in supporting anti-communist Third World security efforts.

China s emergence as a great power is a global concern that can potentially alter the structure of world politics. Its rise is multidimensional, affecting the political, security, and economic affairs of all states that comprise the world s fastest developing region of the Asia-Pacific.

Most of the recently published studies on China s rise have focused on its relations with its immediate neighbours in Northeast Asia: Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, and Russia. Less attention has been given to Southeast Asia s relations with China. To address these issues, this volume, with its wide range of perspectives, will make a valuable contribution to the ongoing policy and academic dialogue on a rising China. It examines a range of perspectives on the nature of China s rise and its implications for Southeast Asian states as well as US interests in the region.

China, the United States and South-East Asia will be of great interest to students of Chinese politics, South-East Asian politics, regional security and international relations in general.

This book explores two of the most important dimensions of the military as an institution in Third World politics: its role in domestic power structures and internal development, and its impact on the formation and execution of the security aspects of foreign policy. These internal and external orientations are compared here across selected Third World countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The authors are area experts and specialists in comparative and international politics. Part 1 focuses on how the interaction of military and civilian elites creates a specific domestic political climate. The socioeconomic characteristics of these elites are compared and related to their policy preferences. An examination of military establishments in regimes ranging from communist (Cuba) through business-oriented (Indonesia) reveals whether military similarities persist among differing types of government. In Part 2 the contributors examine the role of military force in the Third World through a general empirical treatment of military behavior in developing countries; an assessment of the security policies-with emphasis on their military components-of several Middle Eastern and Asian states; and an evaluation of the U.S. experience in supporting anti-communist Third World security efforts.

A major new contribution to comparative and multidisciplinary scholarship on the alignment of religion and violence in the contemporary world, with a special focus on South and Southeast Asia.
Religion and Conflict in South and Southeast Asia shows how this region is the site of recent and emerging democracies, a high degree of religious pluralism, the largest Muslim populations in the world, and several well-organized terrorist groups, making understanding of the dynamics of religious conflict and violence particularly urgent. By bringing scholars from religious studies, political science, sociology, anthropology and international relations into conversation with each other, this volume brings much needed attention to the role of religion in fostering violence in the region and addresses strategies for its containment or resolution. The dearth of other literature on the intersection of religion, politics and violence in contemporary South and Southeast Asia makes the timing of this book particularly relevant.
This book will of great interest to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of Asian politics, security studies and conflict studies.

China's emergence as a great power is a global concern that can potentially alter the structure of world politics. Its rise is multidimensional, affecting the political, security, and economic affairs of all states that comprise the world's fastest developing region of the Asia-Pacific.

Most of the recently published studies on China's rise have focused on its relations with its immediate neighbours in Northeast Asia: Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, and Russia. Less attention has been given to Southeast Asia's relations with China. To address these issues, this volume, with its wide range of perspectives, will make a valuable contribution to the ongoing policy and academic dialogue on a rising China. It examines a range of perspectives on the nature of China's rise and its implications for Southeast Asian states as well as US interests in the region.

China, the United States and South-East Asia will be of great interest to students of Chinese politics, South-East Asian politics, regional security and international relations in general.

Assessing trends toward creating innovative forms of political, economic and security co-operation in Southeast Asia, this text discusses the international dynamics of Southeast Asian security, and its impact on such external factors as the US, China and Japan.

Assessing trends toward creating innovative forms of political, economic and security co-operation in Southeast Asia, this text discusses the international dynamics of Southeast Asian security, and its impact on such external factors as the US, China and Japan.

This edition adds chapters on Burma and Vietnam, and updated material throughout reflects the current economic crisis in the region.

This edition adds chapters on Burma and Vietnam, and updated material throughout reflects the current economic crisis in the region.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Uniting the 10 major mainland and insular Southeast Asian states, ASEAN has also established formal links to Northeast Asia (ASEAN+3), as well as to the world at large (ASEAN Regional Forum). It is appropriate at this time to take stock of ASEAN and project its future. How effectively have ASEAN and its organizational offspring functioned as a security community? Have the Association's members been able to aggregate their security interests? Have they presented a united security front to other states? Do they collaborate to resolve internal security problems and protect one another against external security challenges? In this monograph, Professor Sheldon Simon, who has written on Asian security for over 40 years, argues that ASEAN is pursuing an engagement strategy in the 21st century, bringing the great powers (the United States, China, India, Japan, and the European Union) into Southeast Asia's political...

Southeast Asian states within ASEAN agree that security relations with the great powers are best achieved by enmeshing the latter in ASEAN procedures. The primary goal of ASEAN is that China, Japan, the United States, and India commit to maintaining Southeast Asia's autonomy, integrity, and prosperity. ASEAN is less successful in resolving conflicts internal to the region including human rights in Burma, transnational terrorism, environmental concerns, human trafficking, and illegal arms trade. Sovereignty protection frequently trumps cooperation on these issues.